Outer Limits 4x4 Board

started happening after I used an engine flush about 2 months ago. Gauge doesn't get any higher than a quarter of the way up. It used to always sit exactly on half way. Doesn't seem to affect the car- no loss of power or fuel economy and it idles OK. I'm thinking either the guage is stuffed or the thermostat has gone. If there are no ill effects I probably won't fix it but I have heard that a running a cold engine can shorten engine life because cold oil has less viscosity than hot oil. Should I be worried

Sounds like the coolant flush has effected something.
Perhaps the thermostat you could try changing or at least removing and test it to make sure it works.
The coolant temp sensor may have gummed up with dislodged crap thats acting as an insulator, you could remove it and check for any scunge build up.

Bitsa, the thing that is confusing me is that I didn't use a radiator flush it was an engine oil flush- that CEM stuff. The temp. guage started doing this immediately after changing the oil and filter???

You do realise it's winter and your cars temp is proportional to ambient temp ie. colder air more efficient radiator heat exchanged to ambient air temp
My triton always run on quater so I would suggest that the fush has clean your system making it work more efficently combined with colder weather......

Fair point but two weeks ago I got back from a 2000k round trip from Mt Isa to Burketown and out to King Ash Bay in the NT. The triton was fully loaded with 80L of additional fuel, 60L of water, 12 30packs of XXXX and a $hite load of camping gear. We drove in temperatures of 30+ degrees and the temperature struggled to get up to the quarter mark. I don't think the fact that it is winter has got anything to do with it.

I think the water was a waste of space- I think it was only used for washing up

I'd guess your thermostat is stuffed - it just happened around the time of the engine flush.

In my experience Mitsubishi cooling systems are excellent. When they're working properly the temperature gauge gets up to temperature and sits there. Up hills, high speed, high ambient temperatures, the needle barely moves.

Every time I've seen a Mitsubishi temp gauge indicating higher than "normal" (on two out of five different vehicles) there was a problem requiring intervention.

Cheers,

Scott

Scotts thermostat is a good point.
In the old days guys simply threw them out and run with out one
DO NOT DO THIS. Vehicles are designed today to operate at certian tempratures. For instance combustion efficiency is inversly proportional to temp but cat converters need to be hot to burn alll crap before exhaust exits

At the end of the day running cold is better than running hot
If your still curious try the two test below if both are true then it's probally the gauge

To test the temprature sensor:
1. Connect a multimeter to the sender unit. One lead on the rterminal the other to 'earth' on the base
2. Drop it in a pot of cold water on the stove
3. Select ohms on the multimeter
4. Turn the stove on
5. You should notice the value on the multimeter will either increase or decrease depending on the sender unit (most increase)

and thermostat:
1. On the top of the thermos stat should be a temperature rating
2. Drop the thermostat in a pot of cold water
3. Turn the stove on
4. Watch the temperature using a thermometer
5. When the temp reaches the rating you should see the thermostat diaphram open up

Hope this helps
Cheers
Wayne

mmmm lets see
30 cans X375ml = 11.25l
times 12 blocks = 135l of beer (just shy of 150kg)

Thats only 5l less that fuel and water combined
I like it

Gee wrote:I think the water was a waste of space

'nough said